Questions about GameRankings

Short answers, pulled from the story.

When was GameRankings founded and who owned it?

GameRankings was founded in 1999 and owned by CBS Interactive. The site operated as a silent architect that collected and linked to scores from hundreds of other websites and magazines without hosting a single review itself.

How did GameRankings calculate average scores from different rating systems?

GameRankings translated disparate scoring systems into a unified percentage using a simple mean of every ranking from all accredited websites. The site converted scores from 5 or 10 point scales and letter grades into percentages to maintain a consistent scale for comparison.

What was the minimum number of reviews required for a game to receive a ranking on GameRankings?

A game did not receive a ranking until it accumulated six total reviews to ensure the score was statistically significant. This threshold prevented the score from being skewed by a small number of outliers and allowed for comparison against other games in the database.

Which seven games achieved an aggregate score of 97% or higher on GameRankings before it closed?

Super Mario Galaxy, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, Super Mario Odyssey, Super Mario Galaxy 2, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Grand Theft Auto IV, and Grand Theft Auto V stood as the pinnacle of critical acclaim. These titles held an aggregate score of 97% or higher at the time of the site's closure in December 2019.

When did GameRankings shut down and what happened to the site after closure?

GameRankings was shut down and redirected to Metacritic on the 9th of December 2019. The discontinuation resulted from a strategic decision by CBS Interactive to merge its staff with the similar aggregator Metacritic to consolidate resources and streamline operations.

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